Yarrowleafs regret - Hollyclan
by IWritetHINGSLikeCats
Summary: Come with me to witness Yarrowleafs intense journey in Hollyclan. He has a perfectly normal life until a loner joins their clan as a new medicine cat. Her name is Salem. What will the clans think of him and Salems forbidden love? His apprentice feels betrayed, his friends left and his family is gone. A breath taking story of death, sorrow, sadness, tragedy, and regret.
1. Chapter 1

A warm wind billowed against Yarrowleafs thick golden fur. Birds shrill calls echoed around him and the sweet scents of green leaf wreathed around him and brought him back into the nursery.

Yarrowleaf woke to a paw jabbing violently into his side. His eyes slowly opened and he snarled, Splashfern, a tortoieshell she cat with bright green eyes was staring at him. "Wake up! Streamstar called a clan meeting!" The she cat kept poking him. Yarrowleaf grumbeled and he rolled out of his nest. He licked flicks of moss from his pelt and blinked the sleep from his eyes. A icy wind gusted his fur back and the warm feeling of his dream washed away like a leaf in the wind. He followed Splashfern down a small rock tumble and to where Streamstar sat atop highrock. The deputy, Rowantail sat beneath her, his chin up high and his pelt glossy as if he had just groomed it. "All cats old enough to catch their own prey gather under highrock for a clan meeting!" Streamstars call echoed around the hollow. Warriors melted from their dens like shadows. Shadowfang, Crystalwing, and Fernbreeze came padding toward him and Splashfern. They settled down together. "How did you sleep?" Fernbreeze mewed and he slowly started dragging his tounge down his light brown tabby pelt. "Fine" Yarrowleaf mewed back. Heronflight flicked her tail and shushed them. Streamstar nodded thankfully to Heronflight. Yarrowleafs pelt burned with embarresment as the meeting started.

"Today I have some..." She paused. "News" Streamstars tail swished over the entrance of her den and a calico she cat with ivy green eyes stepped out. "Who is THAT!?" Duskflights mew rang out from the crowd. Small murmers rippled through the group and Streamstar hushed them with a flick of her tail. "This is Salem. As you know our medicine cat, Tallfern is getting old and is unable to treat patients as he used to." She sent a loving glance at Tallfern that held a 'No offense' look. Tallfern nodded and he purred with amusment. "I have learned that Salem has a unique knowledge of our herbs and is capable of treating our clanmates. She has a strong connection with Starclan and has all of the capabilities to become our medicine cat" She held her clanmates gaze evenly. "What!? Were just LETTING in a loner!?" Flamepaw yowled and stood up, his dark ginger pelt stuck out between his clanmates. Splashfern leaped to her paws. "Flamepaw!" She snarled at her apprentice. Flamepaw glared and sat back down. Yarrowleafs gaze met Salems. She stared back at him and they seemed to connect for a second. She ripped her gaze away from him and back to Tallfern. "I may be a loner. I may not know the ways of your clan. But I can treat you. And I swear on Starclan I will protect this clan with my life" Salems mew was sweet and smooth like honey. Coldheart krept from the shadows of the elders den. "Traitors! Letting in a loner. What has this clan become?" He snarled. Coldheart stopped walking for a second and his eyes widened. His mouth gaped open and his chest heaved. A final breath gasped from Coldheart as he collapsed on to the ground, still.

Yarrowleaf watched the old elder collapse. He leaped to his paws and backed up. Brookkit let out a wail as she bounded from the nursery. Fernbreeze, Leafshade, and Darkheart raced to the tom, Salem on their tail. "Coldheart!" Fernbreeze shook the tom. Leafshade nosed him. "Salem is he ok!?" She stared at the she cat, terrified. Salem shouldered her way forward. Dead silence. No cat even breathed as Salem sat up. "Coldheart has gone with Starclan. He died of a heart disease." Salem stepped back, letting the clan cats grieve. Yarrowleaf stared as all of his clanmates gathered around the tom. Streamstars eyes were wide. Rowantail placed his tail on her shoulders as they led the way over to the tom. Yarrowleafs heart seemed to crack in two as he came forward with the cats. "Stay back" Streamstar yowled to her clanmates. "Shadowfang, Yarrowleaf, Salem and Mintfur take him outside the camp. We will sit vigil tonight" Yarrowleaf slowly lifted the hind leg of Coldheart. Mintfur, Shadowfang, and Salem took his other legs and they lifted him up onto their shoulders. They made their way out of camp and placed him outside the entrance. They covered his body in leaves and muck so the sour smell rising from him would not effect the clan. The group of cats made their way back into the clan. Hailpaw, Sorrelpaw, Hazepaw, Smokepaw, Hazelpaw, and Flamepaw all whispered in a group as the other warriors stayed to themselves. No one felt like hunting or fighting today. So they all sat and waited for sundown.

Yarrowleaf let out a yawn as dawn finally came. He dragged his paws out of camp and picked Coldheart up. The same group of cats who had brought him out brought him back into the middle of the camp. Hailpaw, Flamepaw, Hazepaw, Glacierpaw, Sorrelpaw, Leafshade, Heronflight, Darkheart, Fernbreeze, Mintfur, Shadowfang, Tallfern, Rowantail, Streamstar and himself all gathered by Coldhearts body. They shared tounges with the warrior for a last time. Yarrowleaf heard small murmers of goodbye from all of the warriors. Yarrowleaf closed his eyes in greif. He jumped as he felt a pelt press up against him. He looked over to see Salem. She nodded in understanding to him. He nodded his thanks to the she cat. "Walk with the stars Coldheart. Walk with the stars" He murmered to the dead tom. The warriors slowly melted away from Coldheart. All who was left was Streamstar. Yarrowleaf dragged himself into the warriors den and settled down in his nest. He could hear small whimpers of grief from his clanmates as he melted into sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

Yarrowleafs eyes snapped open and he saw bright green eyes staring right at him. The eyes were bright and almost illuminated the den. 'Salem?' he thought to himself. 'Salem?" He hissed into the dark. The eyes blinked and he struggled to his paws. Salem flicked her tail, signalling for him to follow her. They exited the den and sat atop a moon bathed rock. "What is your name?" Salem mewed, she licked her paw and drew it over her ear. "Yarrowleaf" He mewed and his tail swished behind him. Salem nodded. Yarrowleaf turned his head to see icy blue eyes glaring at them from a bush. The eyes widened as they met and they quickly disappeared. He glimpsed a dark ginger pelt push into the apprentices den and his tail lashed. 'Flamepaw!' he growled. Salem tilted her head. "Follow me" she mewed and sat up. He nodded and sat up, following her out of the camp. They broke into the forest and the crisp night air stung his nose. Salem broke into a run, Yarrowleaf stared in shock for a second before bolting after her. They leaped over gnarled roots and small rivers. He stayed even with the she cat, his pelt brushing hers.

They stopped in a moon drenched clearing loaded with ferns. Salem purred as she whisked out of view. He stared with confusion as her ivy eyes burned back at him from the dark. They quickly disappeared and reappeared in a new dark spot. His tail flicked with amusment as he wiggled his haunches. Her eyes peeked from the dark and he launched himself toward them. He tackled her softly onto a patch of ferns and they purred with amusment, not exchanging a word. She stared at him mischeviously and a soft scratching sound coming from an oak tree. She purred and launched a piece of moss at his face and wiggled out of his grip. He shook the moss off and bounded after her mewing with delight. Salem erched to a stop and stretched her jaws in a yawn. "Should we get back to camp?" Yarrowleaf mewed and stopped beside her. "No, I think we can rest here." she motioned to a large bunch of ferns. She settled down and motioned for him to lay down with her. He nodded and curled up next to her. Her rhythemic snores and soft breathing slowly lurred Yarrowleaf into sleep.

He woke with a start. Bright sunlight beamed down at him and Salem. He shoved the drowsiness away and looked up. He cringed with guilt as he saw. Heronflight, Crystalgaze, Rowantail, and Hazelpaw glaring down at them. "I-I can explain" Yarrowleaf mewed quickly and nudged Salem awake. She lifted her head and blinked sleepily. "What?" She yawned and sat up. The blurr subsided from her gaze and widened with horror as she saw the patrol. "When we woke up we realized you two were gone. Flamepaw informed us that he saw you that night" Rowantails tail lashed. Hazelpaw looked down at her paws not saying a word. Heronflight continued to glare at them. "I knew we couldnt trust her" He hissed to Crystalgaze. Crystalgaze shouldered him away, looking sympathetically at Yarrowleaf and Salem. Salem avoided their gaze. "Im sorry" she murmered. Yarrowleaf nodded. "Me to" Rowantail motioned for them to follow the patrol. Crystalgaze and Hazelpaw flanked Yarrowleaf while Heronflight guided Salem.

They arriaved back at camp and Streamstar let out a breath of relif. Splashfern bounded to them and Flamepaw looked smugly at Salem. Splashfern purred. "Im so glad your ok!" She mewed. Yarrowleaf nodded his thanks and the patrol broke up. Salem hurried to the medicien den. The last thing he glimpsed of her was her long dappled tail pushing through the brambles.

Yarrowleaf sighed. "All cats old enough to catch their own prey gather under highrock for a clan meeting!" Streamstar yowled. The cats left their prey sitting around the camp and gathered under Streamstar. Salem returned from the medicine den her tail flicking. A bundle of borage sat by her paws. She hurried to the clan meeting. Yarrowleaf motioned for her to sit next to him. She glanced around nervously and dipped her head to him. She padded over to Glacierpaw and settled down beside him. Yarrowleaf gave her an understanding look as he glanced back up at Streamstar. "Today Brookkit has reached her sixth moon" Streamstar motioned for Brookkit to enter the gathering. Brookkit bounced into the clearing, her dark brown tabby pelt gleaming in the light. "I look up at Starclan and hope they lead young Brookkit through thick and thin. She has a true potential to become a great warrior and will stand bravely for the clan. Until you earn your warrior name, from this day you shall be known as Brookpaw." Brookpaws pelt quivered with eximent. Yarrowleaf glanced fondly at the new apprentice. "This warrior has helped our clan through the hardest of times. He has never failed to be loyal and has won every battle he encountered. He is strong, loyal, and brave hearted. I hope he passes these qualities onto Brookpaw. Yarrowleaf you will be the mentor of Brookpaw" Yarrowleaf stood in shock. He cleared his mind and proudly padded over to Brookpaw. He pressed his nose against hers. "I will try really really hard" she mewed up to him. Yarrowleaf beamed. "I will to"


End file.
